Articles Of Incorporation

This is a fancy term that defines one of the things you need to do when you leave your crappy job to form that underwater basket weaving corporation you’ve always dreamed of. When you establish a corporation in the United States, you are required to draft and submit articles of incorporation. This is the government’s way of keeping track of the creation of new corporations in general.

In this document, your state will require you to give the name of your corporation (including the type of corporation), where you’ll be doing business (your address), and maybe the reason your corporation has been established (to sell Hawaiian tank tops created through underwater basket weaving that will be sold in Alaska in the winter).

You’ll also need to detail how much stock will be issued (if any) and what kind, list a registered agent (um...the person who will receive notices of lawsuits when your Alaskan clients in the cold ass city of Barrow get frostbite), and the names of anyone serving on your board of directors (they’re probably dead from frostbite by now).

You will then submit your articles of incorporation through the Secretary of State’s office along with a filing fee (which differs by state).